Fatal shooting shakes Capitol Hill

25-year-old man gunned down outside club had been denied entry

Updated 10:00 pm, Sunday, January 27, 2008

A mix of rhythm and blues, soul and hip-hop filled the Baltic Room on Capitol Hill late Friday night, as patrons let the themed night called "The Lick" slip into early Saturday.

But just before 1 a.m., gunshots shattered the music's vibe and people hit the dance floor for cover. Outside on the sidewalk, Tukwila resident Maurice "Moe" Allen, 25, was lying on his back with chest wounds. He later died.

Just a day after Seattle police announced they had DNA evidence linking a man to the stabbing death of a woman on New Year's Eve, the weekend homicide has again shaken Capitol Hill. It is the third fatal shooting in Seattle in about three weeks.

By Sunday, it was unknown whether the homicide was random or gang related, a Seattle police spokesman said.

Officials also could not say whether it was linked to the January deaths of Allen Joplin, who was killed at a party inside a rented studio, or De'Che Morrison, whose body was found the day after someone shot him.

About 18 police officers descended early Saturday on the sidewalk outside the Baltic in the 1200 block of Pine Street. Gang unit investigators also showed up.

A crowd had already gathered outside, according to a police report.

People told investigators they heard four to nine shots but did not spot a suspect, who detectives believe is a man who left the scene. One person reported hearing two groups of shots, possibly from two guns.

"We definitely feel for his family," said Jason Brotman, general manager at the Baltic. "We don't want anything like this to happen."

But Brotman noted that the shooting occurred on a public sidewalk between two parties and that his venue stresses safety.

Before the violence erupted, he added, Baltic staff turned Allen away from the door several times because he was wearing athletic gear and a hat, which are violations of the dress code.

Allen also lacked identification. Security video footage shows him apparently smoking a cigarette near the curb before the shooting, Brotman said.

While the King County Medical Examiner's Office has not released his name, his girlfriend Chakira Sampson, 23, and another source confirmed his death.

Sunday, she was puzzled why the Seattle native was on Capitol Hill.

"We have no idea of what happened," Sampson said. "It's not like Maurice to get into confrontations. It's not like he goes to clubs."

She last saw him Friday around 9 a.m. when he left their Tukwila condominium and told her he would be back soon. He climbed into his Toyota Camry with the goal of cleaning out their South Seattle storage locker.

A day later, she received a phone call from a friend that he had been shot.

Sampson also learned that he died at Harborview Medical Center, apparently from four gunshot wounds to the chest. His mother found his Camry near the Baltic.

"This was so stupid," Sampson said. "I can't believe someone would do such a careless thing."

The two began dating in October 2006 and were preparing to move to a townhouse in Federal Way. He held down various retail positions and recently worked for a painting company.

Allen, his girlfriend added, leaves behind a young son and daughter from different mothers.

But since the 1990s, he has had a long list of run-ins with the police, including assault and robbery charges, according to court records. He also had traffic and disorderly conduct violations.

Sampson wants to remember him as a kind young man with whom she fell in love -- and enjoyed gazing into his eyes.